Manny Ramirez

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Ramirez was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. When he was 13 years old, he moved to New York City with his parents, Onelcida and Aristides. He attended George Washington High School and became a baseball standout. He was drafted 13th overall by the Cleveland Indians in the first round of the 1991 Major League Baseball draft. He made his MLB debut on September 2, 1993. In 1994, Ramirez became a major league regular and finished second in voting for the Rookie of the Year Award. By 1995, he had become an All-Star. He helped lead the Indians to five consecutive playoff berths from 1995 to 1999; this included an appearance in the 1995 and 1997 World Series. In 1999, Ramirez set the Indians' single-season RBI record with 165 RBIs. After the 2000 season, Ramirez signed with the Boston Red Sox. During his time in Boston, Ramirez and teammate David Ortiz became one of the best offensive tandems in baseball history. Ramirez led the Red Sox to World Series Championships in 2004 and 2007 before being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008 as part of a three-team deal that also involved the Pittsburgh Pirates. In an unspecified year, Ramirez was suspended 50 games for violating baseball's drug policy by taking human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). In the spring of 2011, Ramirez was informed by MLB of another violation of its drug policy, and a 100-game suspension. He chose to retire on April 8 rather than be suspended. However, in September 2011, Ramirez wished to be reinstated and agreed in December with the league to a reduced 50-game suspension. Though he played at various points in the Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers, and Chicago Cubs systems, as well as internationally, Ramirez did not appear in another Major League game. Known as a complete hitter who could hit for both power and average, and widely regarded as one of the best right-handed hitters of his generation, Ramirez finished his career with a lifetime .312 batting average, 555 home runs (15th all-time), and 1,831 RBI (18th all-time). In 111 postseason games, Ramirez posted a .285 batting average with 29 home runs and 78 RBI.

In Their Own Story

On September 2, 1993, Ramirez made his MLB debut against the Minnesota Twins, going hitless in four at-bats. The very next day against the New York Yankees, he went 3-for-4 with his first two home runs. His first career hit was a ball off pitcher Mélido Pérez that bounced into the left-field seats; thinking it was a home run, Ramirez kept running until realizing it was an automatic double, returning to second base as teammates ribbed him. He homered in his final two at-bats of that game. In 1995, during the American League Championship Series against the Mariners, he hit two crucial home runs as the Indians won in six games. His most memorable statistical performance occurred on September 30, 1999, when he broke the single-season RBI record with a three-run homer to reach 164 RBIs, eventually finishing with 165. Despite missing 15 games that year due to injury, his .383 average against lefties and overall dominance made him the third-highest vote-getter for AL MVP.

Reader's Guide

Ramirez played for the Cleveland Indians from 1993 to 2000, then for the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays, and later one season in the Chinese Professional Baseball League in Taiwan. His All-Star streak of eleven consecutive games began in 1998 and included every season he played with the Red Sox.

Did You Know?

• Ramirez's 29 postseason home runs are the most in MLB history.
• He set the Indians' single-season RBI record with 165 RBIs in 1999.
• He was suspended twice for violating baseball's drug policy, retiring in 2011 rather than serving a 100-game suspension.